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SAINT LEO, FL - Camille Giardina netted 18 points, including 16-of-19 free throws, to lead four players in double figures as 17th ranked Florida Southern opened the 2018-19 season with a 70-64 victory over Lee in the SSC/GSC Challenge played here Friday in the Marion Bowman Activities Center on the campus of Saint Leo University.

Mercedez Claybrone connected on 7-of-8 field goals to add 16 points for the Moccasins while Anja Fuchs-Robetin and Mackenzie Steele contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively. Fuchs-Robetin also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds to record her 19th career double-double.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Lee (0-1) scored the game's first points on a layup by Haley Schubert, but Florida Southern got two free throws each from Fuchs-Robetin and Giardina to take a 4-2 lead, a lead they would hold onto until 4:37 left in the game. The Moccasins extended their lead to eight points twice in the opening period, the last being a 19-11 margin on back-to-back three-pointers by Julia Jenike and Steele. For Steele, it was the second trey of the period, giving her a team-high six points in the opening stanza.

Florida Southern kept Lee at bay in the second period, never letting the Flames get any closer than four points. The Moccasins ran their lead to 10 points, 31-21, with 4:25 left in the half on a pair of free throws by Giardina. Claybrone did the most damage for FSC with a pair of field goals and a three-pointer for seven second-quarter points.

The Moccasins opened the second half on a 10-2 run with half the points coming at the charity stripe. After a basket by Lee's Taylor Boggess, Florida Southern scored six unanswered points to grab a 17-point lead, 48-31, with 4:46 remaining in the third period. The two teams traded baskets over next 3:28 before Becca Cheeks scored five straight points for Lee to close the period and cut the Mocs' margin to 11, 55-44, with one period left to play.

Lee continued the momentum to open the fourth quarter, scoring 13 unanswered points (eight coming off free throws) to take the lead, 57-55, on a pair of free throws from Boggess. Giardina added two free throws to tie the game at 57 while Jirah Ards added a free throw of her own for a 58-57 Moccasin lead. However, the Flames weren't finished, taking the lead back and then holding off Florida Southern for a 64-61 lead with 1:50 left. Ard pulled FSC within one, 64-63, with a lay-up while Fuchs-Robetin added two more free throws and a lay-up to put the Mocs ahead by three before Giardina connected on three more charity stripe shots to close out the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Florida Southern improves to 5-2 all-time against Lee and now sports a 6-1 record in the SSC/GSC Challenge over the last four seasons.

Giardina's 18 points give her 1,303 for her career, leaving her 25 points shy of tying Nanci Parks (1986-89) for 12th place on FSC's all-time scoring list. Fuchs-Robetin's 13 points give her 1,083 for her career to move her into 18th place passing Tasha Smith, who had 1,079 points from 1997-2000. Next for the senior is Antonia Newman (1999-2001, 2003) who ranks 17th with 1,164 points.

With 10 rebounds in today's game, Fuchs-Robetin jumps over three players to land in 11th place with 643. She needs 57 more to tie Allison Gerdeman (1992-96) for 10th place. Her nine free throws made today move her into FSC's all-time top ten with 321 for her career.

Florida Southern was 28-of-40 from the free throw line for 70 percent. The Mocs shot 34.6 percent from the field while the Flames shot 36.8 and made 17-of-21 free throws. Florida Southern also out-rebounded Lee, 44-35. Both teams turned the ball over 21 times.

Ards added seven points and five steals for Florida Southern.

UP NEXT

Florida Southern wraps up play in the SSC/GSC Challenge with a 1 p.m. game Saturday against Shorter. That game is also played at Saint Leo University. The Moccasins will open their home season on Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. against the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.